ہمیشہ دیر کر دیتا ہوں میں ہر کام کرنے میں
Hamesha der kar detā huuñ maiñ har kaam karne meñ
I am always late, in everything I do
منیر نیازی
ہمیشہ دیر کر دیتا ہوں میں ہر کام کرنے میں
Hamesha der kar detā huuñ maiñ har kaam karne meñ
I am always late, in everything I do...
ضروری بات کہنی ہو کوئی وعدہ نبھانا ہو
Zarūrī baat kahnī ho koī va.ada nibhānā ho
Whether it's saying something important, or keeping a promise;
اُ سے آواز دینی ہو اُ سے واپس بلانا ہو
Use āvāz denī ho use vāpas bulānā ho
Whether it's calling out to her, or calling her back;
ہمیشہ دیر کر دیتا ہوں میں
Hamesha der kar detā huuñ maiñ
I am always too late.
مدد کرنی ہو اُس کی، یار کی ڈھارس بندھانا ہو
Madad karnī ho us kī, yaar kī Dhāras bañdhānā ho
Whether it's helping her, or giving strength to a friend;
بہت دیرینہ رستوں پر کسی سے ملنے جانا ہو
Bahut derīna rastoñ par kisī se milne jaanā ho
Whether it's going to meet someone on long-familiar paths;
ہمیشہ دیر کر دیتا ہوں میں
Hamesha der kar detā huuñ maiñ
I am always too late.
بدلتے موسموں کی سیر میں دِل کو لگانا ہو
Badalte mausamoñ kī sair meñ dil ko lagānā ho
Whether it's finding joy in the stroll of changing seasons;
کسی کو یاد رکھنا ہو کسی کو بُھول جانا ہو
Kisī ko yaad rakhnā ho kisī ko bhuul jaanā ho
Whether it's remembering someone, or forgetting someone;
ہمیشہ دیر کر دیتا ہوں میں
Hamesha der kar detā huuñ maiñ
I am always too late.
کسی کو موت سے پہلے کسی غم سے بچانا ہو
Kisī ko maut se pahle kisī ġham se bachānā ho
Whether it's saving someone from a sorrow, before death;
حقیقت اور تھی اُس کو جا کے یہ بتانا ہو
Haqīqat aur thī kuchh us ko jā ke ye batānā ho
Or going to tell her that the reality was something else;
ہمیشہ دیر کر دیتا ہوں میں ہر کام کرنے میں
Hamesha der kar detā huuñ maiñ har kaam karne meñ...
I am always too late, in everything I do...
📖Metaphorical & Poetic Meaning
This poem is a powerful confession of regret. The 'lateness' (der) is not just about being tardy; it's a metaphor for hesitation, emotional paralysis, and the failure to act when it matters most.
The Refrain:
The repeated line "I am always too late" acts as a heavy, sorrowful drumbeat. It shows a pattern of behavior the poet is painfully aware of but cannot seem to break.
The Stakes:
The poem masterfully escalates the stakes. It starts with common regrets: unsaid words, broken promises, lost chances at reconciliation ("calling her back").
The Climax:
The final stanza is the most tragic. The poet's "lateness" is no longer just about personal feelings but has fatal consequences. He failed to save someone from a sorrow "before death" and, most devastatingly, he failed to correct a terrible misunderstanding ("the reality was something else") before it was too late.
The Essence:
It's the tragedy of a person who lives life in the rear-view mirror, always realizing the correct course of action after the moment has passed, leaving them with nothing but the burden of "what if."